Industrial design for consumer device based scanning and mobility

ABSTRACT

A data entry and scanning apparatus that includes a commercially available mobile device wherein said commercially available mobile device with a touch screen display, a processor, and a wireless communications network access point, a scanning device, an interface, and a power source that external to the commercially available mobile device and connected to the interface, and a casing that does not cover the touch screen display.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention provides a networking-enabled portable opticalscanner with a touch screen and a method of utilizing the same in aclinical setting.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Bar codes are graphical representations of data, images of decodableindicia, the most common of which are referred to as one dimensional(1D) and two dimensional (2D) bar codes. 1D bar codes are images thatrepresents data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines. 2Dbar codes are also images that represent data, but in addition to theparallel lines, or bars, a 2D bar code may contain rectangles, dots,hexagons and other geometric patterns in two dimensions. A commonexample of a 2D bar code is a Quick Response (QR) code. QR codes consistof black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. Thedata encoded in bar codes are interpreted by optical scanners and/orsoftware.

Bar codes originally were scanned by special optical scanners called barcode readers; later, scanners and interpretive software became availableon devices, including desktop printers and smart phones. Today, devicesconsidered bar code readers include, but are not limited to: pen-typereaders, laser scanners, CCD readers, camera-based readers,omni-directional bar code scanners, and cell phone cameras.

Some of the leading manufacturers of mobile devices offer bar codescanning software that can be installed on their respective devices. Thegoal of this software is to allow consumers to use their mobile devicesto scan bar codes that they encounter, including, but not limited to,those on products in stores or on advertisements for products and/orservices located in media such as magazines and posted in public places,such as bus stops.

Rather than integrating a laser scanner into a mobile device, mobiledevice manufacturers rely on the camera in the device to capture theimage before it is processed, i.e., decoded by the software installed onthe phone or remotely accessible to the phone via a network connection.

The capability of a mobile device to decode a bar code is impeded by thespeed of the process. In fact, it takes several seconds from datacapture to decode out. The majority of the lag is because the cameratakes too long to capture the image, slowing down the processing time ingeneral.

In a hospital environment, bar code technology is used to label variousobjects, such as charts and medication, so that the data associated withthese objects can be scanned quickly by nurses and other hospitalpersonnel equipped with optical scanners. Optical scanners arepreferable because of their superior speed.

Nurses and other hospital workers often need to enter data to accompanythe scanned image data. For example, a nurse will scan a chart that willcontain the identification information for a patient and will then,after examining the patient, enter information gleaned from thisexamination, such as the patient's temperature, vital signs, andsymptoms.

To be useful in a hospital environment, a mobile scanning device shouldbe easy to carry, light-weight, user-friendly, sanitary, and relativelyinexpensive. Expensive devices are problematic because the job of nursesis very physical. Hospitals and clinical settings provide exposure tomany substances that are not compatible with maintaining electronicdevices. Also, a nurse's job includes lots of bending down and lifting.Exposing any mobile device to these types of external elements andrigors decreases its useable life due to wear and tear. Thus, a devicethat is replaced at short intervals cannot be prohibitively expensive.

Other than expense, two problems found in current devices, such as theMC50 and the MC55 by Moto, are that the designs are not ergonomic andnot user-friendly. These devices feature an optical scanner and akeyboard. However, the screen is small and the keyboard is heavy. Thesefeatures render the devices more difficult to carry and data entry morechallenging. Specifically, Moto's MC55, which is still in productiontoday, cannot be held easily by nurses while they are working due to itssize and awkward shape.

The producers of mobile computers have produced computing solutions thatare small, light, and user-friendly. These characteristics are alldesirable for nurses and other hospital workers in a clinical setting.However, off-the-shelf mobile computers do not have the scanningcapabilities required in a hospital or clinical setting. For example,Apple's iPod Touch 4 is lightweight and the touch screen provides akeyboard graphical user interface (GUI). Although bar codeinterpretation can be accomplished by software in combination withcameras integrated into mobile devices, such as the iPod Touch, using acamera and software to capture and interpret a bar code is much slowerthan using an optical scanner. Thus, although an iPod Touch is easilymobile and user-friendly, its scanning capabilities are slow andtherefore are not suited for a hospital environment.

Other than the data entry capabilities and light weight, mobile computersystems are also useful in a hospital or clinical environment becausethey have wireless networking capabilities. Mobile devices can receiveinformation and send it to a central repository or storage resource atthe hospital. Additionally, these device can download records forupdate, make updates, and send the updates to the central repository.When dealing with medicating and treating patients, coordinatinginformation between caregivers is an important part of a successfultreatment regimen. Using devices that can communicate with each otherand with additional network resources is advantageous to the workflow.

Connecting to resources via a network connection also enables individualdevices to off-load onerous processing tasks and voluminous storage toother resources. These resources can be housed in the hospital facilityor off-site. Resources may include those proprietary to the hospital'snetwork and those external to this network, such as clouds, whoseresources can be shared across different clients and networks. When ahand-held device can access a network, the capacity of the device itselfbecomes less important and the weight of the device and its componentscan be further reduced.

A need exists for a hand-held mobile scanning technology that combinesthe attributes of popular mobile devices, the ease of mobility andnetworking capabilities, with the advantages of optical scanningtechnology, its speed and accuracy.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a hand-held mobilescanning technology that combines mobility and network connectivity withoptical scanning.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of usinga hand-held mobile scanning technology that combines mobility andnetwork connectivity with optical scanning in a clinical environment,such as a hospital setting.

The advantages of integrating a network-enabled device into a mobileoptical scanner include but are not limited to, the compatibility of thedevice with any existing technical infrastructure, and the networkingpossibilities both on and off-site. The advantages of using opticalscanning in a mobile device instead of capturing an image with a camerainclude, but are not limited to, speed, accuracy and battery life.

An embodiment of the present invention is a Wi-Fi-enabled portableoptical scanner with a touch screen. In an embodiment of the presentinvention, the components of an embodiment of the device include, butare not limited to, a casing, including a front and back cover. Thiscasing houses a touch screen mobile device, such as an iPod Touch 4, aheat shield, a bar code scanning engine, a board with a bar codedecoding engine, a power button, a scan button, a battery, an interfaceboard, to interface between the scanning mechanism and the mobile touchscreen device, and two belt rivets.

The back cover of the casing of an embodiment of the present inventionhas an ergonomically designed curved back, making the device easy for amobile user to hold. The scanner integrated into an embodiment of thepresent invention is positioned to provide an optimal scanning angle(e.g., 15 degrees). The casing positions the scanner at this optimalangle.

An embodiment of the present invention is equipped with two options forinitiating bar code scanning. The first option is a mechanical buttonintegrated into the casing of the unit. The second option is to controlthe optical scanner via the graphical user interface (GUI). Both optionscan be used interchangeably by a nurse and/or other medical stafferutilizing this embodiment to scan bar codes that appear on patientrecords, identification bracelets, and medicines. The term bar coderefers to any item containing decodable indicia, including but notlimited to a 1D bar code, a 2D bar code and/or one or more opticalcharacter recognition (OCR) symbols.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile touch screendevice connects to an available network. Initializing the scan engineeither through the GUI or using the scan button, the engine scans animage of decodable indicia, such as a bar code. The decodable indicia islocated and decoded by the decoding board and sent to the mobile touchscreen device, whose processor executes code that sends the decoded datato a resource external to this embodiment for further processing and/orstorage. One such external resource, or collection of resources, thatcan be used in conjunction with this embodiment, is a cloud.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the software integrating thescanning engine with the mobile computing device and processing the dataand sending it via a network connection, runs on the operating system ofthe mobile touch screen device, such as iOS, for ease of compatibilitywith existing technical infrastructures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a technical architecture utilizing an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a workflow of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts an example of a workflow of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 depicts an example of a workflow of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 depicts an example of a workflow of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 depicts an example of a workflow of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary screenshot used in an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 depicts an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 depicts an exploded view of embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 depicts an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 depicts an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 depicts an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a networking-enabled portable opticalscanner with a touch screen and a method of utilizing the same, in aclinical setting.

In a clinical setting, nurses and other hospital personnel carrypersonal mobile devices. They utilize these devices to scan bar codesappearing on medical records, medications, patient charts, and supplies.They also use these devices to input information into the medicalrecords of patients. Thus, both scanning and data entry capabilities ina mobile device are desirable to a medical worker in a clinical setting.

The present invention combines a mobile touch screen device, such as aniPod Touch 4, with an optical scanner, in a environmentally compatibleergonomic casing. The resultant apparatus utilizes the mobile touchscreen device's touch screen interface, wireless networkingcapabilities, existing operating system, existing hardware, andcloud-computing compatibility. The integration of the mobile touchscreen device into a hand-held scanning apparatus renders this apparatuslight-weight, programmable, and compatible with most if not all existingtechnical infrastructures. The resultant apparatus utilizes the scanengine, and the decoding board. The integration of the optical scannerrenders the scanning operations of the apparatus fast and efficient.

The use of the optical scanner is significantly faster than using thescanning functionality in the mobile touch screen device. For example,in an iPod Touch, scanning images of decodable indicia, such as barcodes, is accomplished by taking a picture of the bar code with thecamera integrated into this device and locating and decoding thedecodable indicia with computer code, software, executing of theprocessor of the mobile touch screen device. The act of taking a pictureof a bar code and ensuring that this pictures is suitable for decodingwith the software is seconds slower than scanning the bar code with anoptical scanner. These seconds are crucial in a fast-paced clinicalsetting.

FIG. 1 depicts a front view 100 a, a side view 100 b, and a rear view100 c, of an embodiment of the present invention. The various componentsare enclosed in a casing 105. The user cannot remove the mobile touchscreen device 150 from the casing 105. The purpose of the casing is toprotect the components of the embodiment from external factors in aclinical setting. The casing is comprised of a top cover 110 and a backcover 120.

The top cover 110 exposes the mobile touch screen device 150 fully sothat all touch controls are accessible to a user. In this embodiment,the mobile touch screen device is the iPod Touch 4. The top cover 110exposes the touch screen, including the home button 113. The Wi-Fiantenna (not pictured) integrated into the iPod Touch 4, is accessibleto area networks.

A bar code scan engine 160, is positioned in back of the mobile touchscreen device 150 in this embodiment to establish a 15 degree scanningangle, an efficient angle for scanning bar codes and other images ofdecodable indicia. The embodiment has a curved back 155. The curved back155 is ergonomically designed to make the device easy to grasp, whileusing the scanning and data entry functionalities. The battery 180,which is additional to any battery in the mobile touch screen device150, extends the battery life of the device; nurses and others inmedical settings work longs shifts and cannot stop to charge the device.

In the rear view 100 c, the scan decode board 115, which is positionedunder the scan engine 160 is visible. When an image of decodableindicia, such as a bar code, is scanned using the scan engine 160, thescan decode board 115 locates the decodable indicia within the image anddecodes it. The resultant decoded data is received by the mobile touchscreen device 150 via the second interface board 135, which iscontrolled by the first interface board 125. (The terms “first” and“second” are used for clarity and are not meant to assign any order orimportance to either component.)

In this embodiment, the first interface board 125 and the secondinterface board 135 are printed circuit boards (PCB boards), andmechanically support and electrically connect the electronic componentsusing conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from coppersheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate.

The first interface board 125 has connectors for the microcontroller(MCU) (not pictured), battery charger (not pictured), and the MCU powermanagement circuit (not pictured). The second interface board 1035interface board has connectors for the mobile touch screen device 150and the USB (not pictured).

The functionality of the first interface board 125 and the secondinterface board 135 is described more completely in reference to FIG.10. However, both boards assist in transferring the bar code data fromthe decode board 115 to the touch screen device 150 and the resultantcommands, if any, from the touch screen device 150 to the decode board115. The first interface board 125, which houses the MCU (not pictured),transfers the bar code data from the decode board 115 to the MCU and anycommands from the MCU (not pictured) to the decode board 115. The secondinterface board 135 transfers bar code data from the MCU (not pictured)to the mobile touch screen device 150 and commends from the mobile touchscreen device 150 to the MCU (not pictured). This MCU resides on thefirst interface board 125 and controls all the functionality of thefirst interface board 125 and the second interface board 135, includingthe operations of the second interface board 135 when it transfers barcode data from the decoder board 115 to the mobile touch screen device150.

The internal Wi-Fi antenna (not pictured) in the mobile touch screendevice 150 can transmit the decoded data to an external resource, suchas a server, within the network and/or a shared resource, such as aresource of a cloud.

The functionality of the apparatus, from a user perspective, isincreased because the apparatus can off-load both data and processingoperations to external resources. In mobile computing, and specificallyin a clinical environment, the lighter the device, the better. However,the size of a mobile device is determined by the processing that thedevice is to accomplish when in use. If more storage and more processingpower are required for certain operations, the required memory andprocessor to accomplish these tasks could render the device larger thanthe ideal size for maximum mobility. By off-loading storage andprocessing, neither the size nor the functionality of the a device iscompromised.

When the mobile touch screen device 150 connects to cloud computingresources over a communications network, the perceived processing powerand storage capacity of this embodiment will appear limitless to theuser.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. It is understood by one ofordinary skill in the art that any external data processing and storagesystem with these characteristics would also be included in thisdisclosure.

One characteristic of the cloud computing model is that a consumer canunilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as CPU power andstorage capacity on the network, as needed automatically withoutrequiring human interaction with the service's provider. The resourcesof the cloud are available over a network and can be utilized byconsumers using a custom thin client, a software application that usesthe client-server model where the server performs all the processing, ora standard web browser, running on a user terminal, including but notlimited to smart phones, touchpad computers, such as the iPad, iPodTouch, tablet computers, desktop, and mobile computers, such as laptops.

The cloud computing model allows services to be delivered through shareddata centers that can appear as a single point of entry, or acommunications gateway, for a terminal accessing the cloud. For example,a user accessing an application as a service or a platform as a servicemay use a web browser to connect to a URL. At that URL, the user gainsaccess to the cloud. While accessing the cloud through the web browser,the user will not be aware of the computers or networks that are servingthe application and/or platform that the user is accessing. It could bea single computer or an elaborate network. This is not important to theuser, as the owner of the cloud works to provide the user with the cloudservices seamlessly.

Referring to FIG. 1, the user can enter data through the touch screeninterface 112 on the mobile touch screen device 150. The internalprocessor in the mobile touch screen device 150 executes computer codeopening a connection to a cloud resource for storage or furtherprocessing of the data.

In this embodiment, when the user initiates the scanning functionality,the scan engine 160, captures the image of decodable indicia. Thedecodable indicia is located and decoded by the scan decode board 115and the data is sent by the second interface board 135, as controlled bythe first interface board 125 to the mobile touch screen device 150. Theinternal processor (not pictured) in the mobile touch screen device 150executes computer code that processes this data. The image of decodableindicia can be transmitted in formats including, but not limited to, araw image bitstream or a compressed byte bitstream. A compressed imagebitstream includes but is not limited to a TIFF byte stream, a GIF bytestream, a JPEG byte stream, or MPEG byte stream.

In this embodiment, the processor that executes the computer code isinternal to the mobile touch screen device 150. However, via thewireless capabilities of the mobile touch screen device 150, inadditional embodiments of the present invention, the computer code thatrenders the GUI on the touch screen user interface 112 of the mobiletouch screen device 150, is either partially or entirely executed on aremote processor and communicates through a wireless network connectionwith the processor on the mobile touch screen device 150, utilizing aclient-server technical architecture. In additional embodiments of thepresent invention, where the computer code is executed on the internalprocessor of the mobile touch screen device 150, the computer coderesides on storage resources including, but not limited to, resourcesexternal to the mobile touch screen device 150, proprietary networkresources, and/or shared network resources, such as resources of theaforementioned cloud computing system.

FIG. 2 is an example of a technical architecture 200 that demonstrateshow an embodiment of the apparatus 201 of the present invention is usedin conjunction with a data storage and processing system, such as acloud. Referring to FIG. 2, the technical architecture 200 of a systemutilizing an embodiment of the present invention includes the apparatus201 of FIG. 1, which includes a mobile touch screen device 250, runninga thin client 222 on its touch screen interface 212. One example of thethin client 222 is a web browser, which serves as the graphical userinterface (GUI), also called the front end. The apparatus 201 includes ascan engine 260, used to scan decodable indicia. The mobile touch screendevice 250 connects to a data processing and storage system 231, such asa cloud, over a network 251.

The data processing and storage system 231 in this embodiment includesbut is not limited to, a server-side proxy component 241 at least twoback-end computers 242 a, 242 b, 242 n, which contain the computing andstorage resources of the data processing and storage system 231. In FIG.2, the resources of the data processing and storage system 231 arelocated in the same physical facility. However, in additionalembodiments of the present invention, the resources of the dataprocessing and storage system 231 are spread out over at least twodifferent physical locations.

The network 251 connecting the mobile touch screen device 250 to thedata processing and storage system 231 includes, but is not limited to,a public network, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network(LAN), a wide area network (WAN), wireless LAN, wireless WAN, wirelessPAN and/or the Internet.

Installed on the application server resources of the data processing andstorage system 231, is the back end software that performs operationsthat require processing utilizing processor resources in the dataprocessing and storage system. Data processed when the software isexecuted on the processor(s) are saved in the storage resources of thedata processing and storage system and/or can be further utilized by theapplication server resources of the data processing and storage system231 to interact with servers internal and external to the dataprocessing and storage system 231 (not pictured). For example, a serverrunning a billing system may be internal or external to the dataprocessing and storage system 231. As a result of the data processing inthe data processing and storage system 231, data may be returned to themobile touch screen device 250 and can render in the thin client 222.

FIG. 3 is a workflow of an embodiment of the present invention. Theworkflow can be understood by referencing FIG. 2.

First, the user of the apparatus 201 initiates a scanning operation(S310). In response, the scan engine 260 of the device scans a bar code,an image of decodable indicia (S320). The image of decodable indicia islocated and decoded with the assistance of the scan decode board 215(S330). The decoded data is sent to the processor of the mobile touchscreen device 250 (S340). Computer code executed on the processor of themobile touch screen device 250 communicates with a storage resource,including but not limited to, an internal storage device, a networkstorage device, or a shared storage resource, such as a cloud resource,to retrieve information coordinating with the decoded data (S350). In anembodiment of the invention, this step entails the mobile touch screendevice 250 connecting to a data processing and storage system 231, suchas a cloud, over a network 251.

The mobile touch screen device 250 displays the retrieved data to theuser (S360). The mobile touch screen device 250 receives additional dataentered by the user (S370). The mobile touch screen device 250 sends theupdated data to the storage resource from which the data was retrieved(S380).

The workflow of FIG. 3 can be used specifically to update the medicalrecord of a patient. FIG. 4 is a workflow of this example. First, anurse using the device initiates the scanning functionality (S410) andthe scanning engine 260 scans the bar code on a patient's chart (S420).The bar code is an encoded identification number for the patient. Theimage of decodable indicia is located and decoded with the assistance ofthe scan decode board 215 (S430). The decoded data is sent, with theassistance of the first interface board 225 and the second interfaceboard 235, to the mobile touch screen device 250 (S440). After the barcode is decoded, the mobile touch screen device 250 queries the storageresource to return information regarding the patient based on theidentification number (S450). The retrieved patient information isdisplayed on the user interface 212 of the mobile touch screen device250 (S460). As the nurse examines the patient, he or she updates thedisplayed medical record using the touch screen functionality (S470).These updates are conveyed to the storage device and saved in themedical record (S480).

The information retrieved and/or updated on the mobile touch screendevice, includes but is not limited to patient information and/orinformation regarding the nurse or doctor to which a patient isassigned. In an embodiment of the present invention, via the wirelessconnection point in the mobile touch screen device 250, any patient,doctor, and/or nurse information can be retrieved, entered, and/orupdated on a remote resource, such as a dedicated or shared web server,and/or a cloud resource.

FIGS. 5-7 demonstrate additional workflows for embodiments of thepresent invention. FIG. 5 is a workflow is which an embodiment of theapparatus of the present invention 201, for example, is used to retrievethe identity of a patient upon scanning a bar code affixed to thepatient. FIG. 6 is a workflow is which an embodiment of the apparatus ofthe present invention 201, for example, is used to retrieve informationabout a particular medicine by scanning a bar code affixed to themedicine. FIG. 7 is a workflow is which an embodiment of the apparatusof the present invention 201, for example, is used to match a patientwith his or her medication, by scanning a bar code affixed to thepatient.

Referring the FIG. 5, a nurse or medical worker using the deviceinitiates the scanning functionality (S510) and the scanning engine 260scans the bar code on a patient (S520). The bar code is an encodedidentification number for the patient. The image of decodable indicia islocated and decoded with the assistance of the scan decode board 215(S530). The decoded data is sent, referred to in FIG. 5 as the code,with the assistance of the first interface board 225 and the secondinterface board 235, to the mobile touch screen device 250 (S540). Afterthe bar code is decoded, the mobile touch screen device 250 queries thestorage resource to return the patient's full record based on theidentification number (S550). The retrieved patient information isdisplayed on the user interface 212 of the mobile touch screen device250 (S560).

Referring the FIG. 6, a nurse or medical worker using the deviceinitiates the scanning functionality (S610) and the scanning engine 260scans the bar code on a medication (S620). The bar code is an encodedidentification number for the medication. The image of decodable indiciais located and decoded with the assistance of the scan decode board 215(S630). The decoded data is sent, referred to in FIG. 6 as the code,with the assistance of the first interface board 225 and the secondinterface board 235, to the mobile touch screen device 250 (S640). Afterthe bar code is decoded, the mobile touch screen device 250 queries thestorage resource to return information regarding the medication based onthe decoded code that appeared on the physical medication (S650). Theretrieved medication information is displayed on the user interface 212of the mobile touch screen device 250 (S660).

Referring the FIG. 7, a nurse or medical worker using the deviceinitiates the scanning functionality (S710) and the scanning engine 260scans the bar code on a patient (S720). The bar code is an encodedidentification number for the patient. The image of decodable indicia islocated and decoded with the assistance of the scan decode board 215(S730). The decoded data is sent, referred to in FIG. 7 as the code,with the assistance of the first interface board 225 and the secondinterface board 235, to the mobile touch screen device 250 (S740). Afterthe bar code is decoded, the mobile touch screen device 250 queries thestorage resource to return the medication information for a patient, forexample, a list of the medications that have been prescribed to thepatient, based on the identification number (S750). The retrievedmedication information is displayed on the user interface 212 of themobile touch screen device 250 (S760). Conversely, an embodiment of thepresent invention can be utilized to locate patient information basedupon scanning a bar code on medication. For example, once a bar codethat appears on medication is scanned and decoded, it can be used toretrieve a list of patients who have been prescribed that medication.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary screenshot used in an embodiment of the presentinvention. This screenshot depicts the GUI on the mobile touch screendevice 250 displaying the medical data of a patient, retrieved from thedatabase based on the decoded identification number. Referring to FIG.8, the nurse can update the patient's condition using this screen. In anembodiment of the present invention, the updates made are sent via thewireless antenna of the mobile touch screen device 250 to a dataprocessing and storage system 231, such as a cloud.

The user of the apparatus initiates the scanning. Referring to FIG. 9,this embodiment 900 offers two options to a user for initiating thescanning operations. First, a user can activate the scanning engineusing the graphical user interface (GUI) on the mobile touch screen 912.Second, the user can depress the scan button 970, which is accessible ina break in the back cover 920.

The scan button 970 is an externally accessible feature, thus, in aclinical or hospital environment, it is advantageous to construct thepower button from a material that is resistant to cleaners, such asalcohol/disinfectant wipes. Materials used to create the scan button 970in this embodiment, include but are not limited to a combination of ABS,a rigid polymer that will not rupture or absorb product when cleaned,and rubber, for flexibility of use.

Referring to FIG. 9, in this embodiment 900, the standby button 914 inthe mobile touch screen device 950 is accessible through the top cover910. The battery life of web-enabled portable computing devices, such asthe iPod Touch, is sometimes limited because manufacturers of thesemobile devices must weigh making the devices as light as possibleagainst integrating a larger, and therefore longer life, battery.Exposing the standby button 914 of the mobile touch screen device 950increases the useable battery life of the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the apparatus 1000 anddisplays the components of this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 10, thecasing is comprised of a top cover 1010 and a back cover 1020. The topcover 1010 and the back cover 1020 encase the components in the device,including the mobile touch screen device 1050, and the scan engine 1060.In this embodiment, the casing is not removable by the user. The surfaceof the casing is optionally resistant to exposure toalcohol/disinfectant wipes. This feature allows the surface to bedisinfected in the unhygienic clinical environment.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the material comprising thecasing includes, but is not limited to, a combination of acrylonitrilebutadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC). As both ABS and PC arerigid polymers, they would continue to protect the components inside thedevice when exposed to the rigorous cleaning procedures in a hospital orclinical environment.

Of the components in apparatus 1000, there are components that enablethe scanning operations, components that enable communications,including both those with the use of the apparatus 1000 and additionalnetwork resources, and parts that allow these two diverse functions towork together. The components that participate in the scanningoperations of the device 1000, include, but are not limited to, the scanengine 1060, the battery 1080, the scan decode board 1015, and the firstinterface board 1025, and the second interface board 1035.

The battery 1080 is additional to the an internal battery (not pictured)in the mobile touch screen device 1050. The battery 1080 is used bycomponents including but not limited to the decode board 1015 and thescan engine 1060. If the mobile touch screen device 1050 is the iPodTouch 4, the internal battery is a 3.3 v battery. The battery 1050 is a5 v battery in some embodiments of the present invention. Using thecombination of the internal battery and the battery 1080, the batterylife of the apparatus 1000 can be more than twelve (12) hours on a fullcharge. The type of battery 1080 includes but is not limited to adedicated rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

The scan engine 1060 scans bar codes and other images of decodableindicia. The scan decode board 1015 locates the decodable indicia anddecodes the scanned images. Image formats for decodable indicia that canbe scanned by the scan engine 1060 and decoded by the decode board 1015,include but are not limited to: 1D bar codes, 2D bar codes, portabledocument format (PDF), postal symbols, and OCR symbols.

As aforementioned the first interface board 1025 and the secondinterface board 1035 are PCBs. Generally, the first interface board 1025houses the MCU and battery charger and the MCU power management circuit.Meanwhile, the second interface board 1035 has connectors for the mobiletouch screen device 1050 and the USB.

The functionality of the first interface board 1025 includes but is notlimited to: 1) a battery charger and MCU power management circuit forthe battery 1080; 2) an MCU that controls all the functionality of thefirst interface board 1025 and the second interface board 1035,including the operations of the second interface board 1035 when ittransfers bar code data from the decoder board 1015 to the mobile touchscreen device 1050 and transfers commands from the mobile touch screendevice 150 to the decode board 1015; 3) a switch circuit for the scanbutton 1070; 4) a connector for the decode board 1015, which transfersbar code data from the decode board 1015 to the MCU and commands fromthe MCU to the decode board 1015; 5) a board to board connector.

The functionality of the second interface board 1035 includes but is notlimited to: 1) a USB connector used for communications and to charge thebattery 1080 and the battery internal to the mobile touchy screen device1050, embodiments of the invention are configured to accept standard USBand mini/micro USB cables; 2) a connector to the mobile touch screendevice 1050 that transfers bar code data from the MCU to the mobiletouch screen device 1050 and transfers commands from the mobile touchscreen device 1050 to the MCU, transfers USB communications from the USBconnector; 3) an input power current inrush limiter circuit; 4) a backupcharger circuit which allows the battery 1080 charged the internalmobile touch screen device battery; and 5) a board to board connector.

The first interface board 1025 and the second interface board 1035facilitate the communication between the decode board 1015 and themobile touch screen device 1050. This mobile touch screen device 1050 islargely responsible for the communications functions of the apparatus1000. The touch screen interface 1012 displays data to the user andaccepts entry of data from the user and the Wi-Fi antenna connects to acommunications network.

The scanning of a bar code, an image of decodable indicia, is triggeredwithin the device 1000 by user interaction with the graphical userinterface (GUI) on the mobile touch screen device 1050, and/or the userpressing the scan button 1070. Once this scanning operation istriggered, the optical scanner in the scan engine 1060, captures the barcode, which is decoded with the assistance of the scan decode board1015. The resultant data, which, in this embodiment, includes but is notlimited to patient identification information, is transferred first fromthe decode board 1015 to the MCU on the first interface board 1025, andthen from the MCU to the mobile touch screen device 1050, by the secondinterface board 1035, under the control of the first interface board1025.

Computer program code executed on the internal processor of the mobiletouch screen device 1050 processes the data and displays the data and/orcoordinating data on the user interface. The image of decodable indiciacan be transmitted in formats including, but not limited to, a raw imagebitstream or a compressed byte bitstream. A compressed image bitstreamincludes but is not limited to a TIFF byte stream, a GIF byte stream, aJPEG byte stream, or MPEG byte stream.

The embodiment of FIG. 10 also includes a power button 1045. Switchingthe device 1000 off when not in use saves battery life and also assistsin securing the device. As the power button 1045 is an externallyaccessible feature, in a clinical or hospital environment, it isadvantageous to construct the power button from a material that isresistant to cleaners, such as alcohol/disinfectant wipes. Materialsused to create the power button 1045 include but are not limited to acombination of ABS, a rigid polymer that will not rupture or absorbproduct when cleaned, and rubber, for flexibility of use.

To aid in the mobility of the device, a back cover belt rivet 1030 and abelt rivet 1040 are affixed to the back cover 1020. The belt rivet holdsa belt in place that allows the device to be carried more easily. Theback cover belt rivet is made of metal because in addition tocontributing to the mobility of the device, it also dissipates the heatgenerated by some of the parts inside the apparatus 1000.

FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 demonstrate two methods of attaching a belt to theback cover 1120, 1220 of embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 11 1100, a belt 1131, is affixed toboth the back cover belt rivet 1130 and the belt rivet 1140. Byattaching the belt to both places, the device can be worn on a user'sarm or wrist. The curved back of the back 1155 cover fits the curve ofthe user's wrist.

In the embodiment 1200 of FIG. 12, a belt 1231, is attached to the backcover belt rivet 1230 only. The loop created by this attachment can beworn, for example, on the belt of a burse's pants, and/or can be worn onthe wrist.

A hand-held mobile device is not comfortable to hold if it heats upduring use. The batteries in mobile computers are among the exothermicparts in these computers that generate heat and limit the amount of timea user can stay in contact with the computer. Despite the name “laptop,”some mobile computers become so hot that they are uncomfortable to holdon one's lap. Nurses and hospitals carry current mobile scanning devicesregularly. Thus, the heat that radiates from these devices is regulatedin order to allow the nurses to hold the devices comfortably. Referringback to FIG. 10, the apparatus 1000, has three exothermic parts: 1) thescanning engine 1060; 2) the mobile touch screen device 1050, which hasan internal battery; and 3) the battery 1080.

The embodiment 1300 of FIG. 13 highlights the exothermic parts in anembodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 13, the battery1380, scan engine 1360 and mobile touch screen device 1350 all generateheat while operating. The back cover belt rivet 1330 is made of metal,including but not limited to an aluminum alloy, and therefore candissipate this heat. Placing a heated device 1300 on one's wrist or justcarrying a heated device is painful. Thus, the heat shield 1090, shownin FIG. 10, deflects the heat from the contact points, i.e., where theuser touches the device when in use. The back cover belt rivet 1330helps to dissipate this heat.

Although the present invention has been described in relation toparticular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modificationswill become apparent to those skilled in the art. As such, it will bereadily evident to one of skill in the art based on the detaileddescription of the presently preferred embodiment of the system andmethod explained herein, that different embodiments can be realized.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A data entry and scanning apparatus comprising: a casing; a commercially available mobile device comprising a touch screen display, a processor, and a wireless communications network access point; a scanning device connected to said commercially available mobile device via an interface; wherein both the commercially available mobile device and the scanning device are enclosed together within said casing, said casing not covering the touch screen display; a power source external to said commercially available mobile device, the power source enclosed within said casing and coupled to said interface; wherein said scanning device is configured to scan an image of decodable indicia in response to receiving a command from said interface, wherein said interface is configured to send said command to said scanning device in response to receiving input on said touch screen, wherein said scanning device is further configured, in response to scanning said image of decodable indicia, to locate said decodable indicia within said image of decodable indicia, wherein said scanning device is further configured, in response to locating said decodable indicia, to decode said decodable indicia into a decoded message, wherein said interface is configured to transmit said decoded message from said scanning device to said processor of said commercially available mobile device and wherein the decoded message is displayed on the touch screen display.
 2. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said casing positions said optical scanner at a 15 degree angle relative to said image of decodable indicia when said apparatus is positioned parallel to said image of decodable indicia.
 3. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said power source is a battery.
 4. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a heat shield between said power source and said casing.
 5. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 1, said casing comprised of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polycarbonate.
 6. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said casing comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion and said second portion mate, wherein said first portion touches said commercially available mobile device, wherein said second portion touches said scanning device, and wherein said second portion is concave.
 7. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wireless communications network access point is configured to send and receive data to and from a data storage and processing system.
 8. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a scan button located at a position external to said commercially available mobile device and coupled to said interface, wherein a top portion of said scan button is not covered by said casing, and wherein said interface is additionally configured to send said command to said scanning device when said scan button is depressed.
 9. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a belt rivet affixed to said casing comprised of a material to dissipate heat.
 10. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said scanning device comprises an optical scanner and a decode board, wherein said optical scanner is configured to capture said image of decodable indicia and to transmit said image of decodable indicia to said decide board, and wherein said decode board is configured to locate said decodable indicia within said image of decodable indicia and to decode said decodable indicia into said decoded message.
 11. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 10, wherein said interface comprises a first interface board and a second interface board, wherein said first interface board contains a microcontroller (MCU) and is coupled to said power source, wherein said second interface board is coupled to said commercially available mobile device and a universal serial bus (USB), wherein said first interface board is configured to transmit said decoded message from said decode board to said commercially available mobile device, wherein said first interface board is further configured to transmit said command from said commercially available mobile device to said decode board, wherein said second interface board is configured to transmit said decoded message from said decode board to said MCU, and wherein said MCU controls said first interface board and said second interface board.
 12. The data entry and scanning apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first interface board is a PCB board and said second interface board is a PCB board.
 13. A method for combining a commercially available mobile device and a scanning device into a data entry and scanning apparatus, the method comprising: coupling a first interface board to a power source external to said commercial available mobile device; coupling a second interface board to said commercially available mobile device comprising a touch screen display and a wireless communications network access point; coupling said scanning device to said commercially available mobile device via said first interface board wherein said scanning device comprises an optical scanner and a decode board and said first interface board is connected to said decode board; enclosing said power source, said scanning device, said first interface board, said second interface board, and said commercially available mobile device, in a casing exposing said touch screen, and wherein said optical scanner is held at a fixed position within said casing that is not perpendicular to said commercially available mobile device, so as to form the data entry and scanning device such that the data entry and scanning apparatus captures an image of decodable indicia using the optical scanner in response to touching of the touch screen, locates decodable indicia within the image of decodable indicia, decodes the image of decodable indicia into a decoded message, and through the first interface board transmits the decoded message from the scanning device to the touch screen display.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: coupling said second interface board to a USB.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein said first interface board and said second interface board are PCB boards.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein said power source is a battery.
 17. The method of claim 13, further comprising: affixing a belt rivet to said casing.
 18. A method for using a commercially available mobile device and a scanning device as a data entry and scanning apparatus, the method comprising: coupling a first interface board to a power source external to said commercial available mobile device; coupling a second interface board to said commercially available mobile device comprising a touch screen display and a wireless communications network access point; coupling said scanning device to said commercially available mobile device via said first interface board wherein said scanning device comprises an optical scanner and a decode board and said first interface board is connected to said decode board; enclosing said power source, said first interface board, said second interface board, said scanning device, and said commercially available mobile device, in a casing exposing said touch screen, and wherein said optical scanner is held at a fixed position within said casing that is not perpendicular to said commercially available mobile device; initializing said scanning device in response to touching said touch screen; utilizing said optical scanner to capture an image of decodable indicia; utilizing said decode board to decode said image of decodable indicia wherein said decode board locates decodable indicia within said image of decodable indicia, and wherein said decode board decodes said decodable indicia into a decoded message; and viewing said decodable message on said touch screen display.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: utilizing said wireless communications network access point to access a computer resource.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said computer resource is a data processing and storage system. 